An off-duty Greeley firefighter was killed Thursday morning in a hit-and-run crash.

Steven Michael Kuzik, 58, a 21-year veteran of the Greeley Fire Department, was riding his motorcycle into work when about 6:30 a.m. he was struck head-on by an SUV. Kuzik was traveling east in the 1300 block of 5th Street when the SUV, driven by Cody Shane Boetger, 25, of Grover, crossed the centerline causing the crash, according to a Greeley police news release.

Kuzik was rushed by ambulance to North Colorado Medical Center in serious condition. He was pronounced dead about 45 minutes later at 7:12 a.m., according to the release.

“Steve was one of those guys everyone respected and loved,” Lyman said of Kuzik, who was named Firefighter of the Year in 2014. “He always had a positive attitude and really, truly loved being a firefighter.

Denver Sheriff Patrick Firman's resignation this week culminated years of mistrust from deputies and community activists, who said that was the price of filling the position with a man who was never the right person for the job.